


Parenting for high-functioning sociopaths

by Upstarsfromreality



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-23
Updated: 2020-08-23
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:00:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26054605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Upstarsfromreality/pseuds/Upstarsfromreality
Summary: Sherlock asks Greg for a few pointers.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 16





	Parenting for high-functioning sociopaths

Sherlock looked up from his boring paperwork at Lestrade's office at the Yard.  
"Gert, you have kids, right?" he asked.

Lestrade sighed. "Sherlock, you deduced I have kids the day you met me, and you were high as a kite at the time."

Sherlock hesitated "Yeah, but when your kids were little, how much did you tell them? You know, about what you do."

Lestrade glanced over at Sherlock from his own stack of paperwork. "Rosie's been asking questions, then, has she?"

"Not yet, but I'm pretty sure she's going to soon. She talks sometimes about how her daddy's a doctor and that means when he goes to work he helps people who are sick. Last time she said that I go to work too when I'm not experimenting, and sometimes her daddy goes with me, if I go to work at night when he's not being a doctor, but not what I do at work," explained Sherlock.

"Oh, I see. Well, when the kids were Rosie's age I think they knew about as much about my being a cop as Rosie knows about John's being a doctor. They could probably say that I caught bad people and stopped them from hurting other people, but not much more."

Sherlock digested this. "Did they know that sometimes the bad people hurt the people catching them, instead?" he asked.

"You know, I don't think they did. In Matt's case it would probably have been better if he had known a little earlier. I got stabbed his first year in school, and I think that he saw me hurt and found out I could be hurt at the same time." 

"He was okay when he found out, though, wasn't he?" asked Sherlock. 

"Yeah, he was upset for a few days, but he handled it pretty well, considering," said Lestrade. "Why, are you worried about how knowing would affect Rosie?" he added.

Sherlock sighed. "John is. She's been asking other questions. About my scar. About his scar. We were at the swimming pool the day before the case started. She's seen the scars before, of course, but I think that was the first time she realized they weren't just something grownups have. John didn't want to tell her anything about them."

"But you did. Why?"

"You know how hard it is for me not to correct a wrong impression when she has one. Not just because I refuse to let anyone be wrong around me, but because of…" he trailed off.

"Yeah, I could see how that would make a difference," supplied Lestrade, to prevent Sherlock from having to say "I don't like lying to my kid because my fucking family thought it would be fucking ok to let me think my best friend, who my sister fucking killed, was a dog that got put down." They could both take that part as read.

Lestrade continued. "That part's personal. I can't tell you how much to let that affect what you'll tell her. But with regards to her being a copper's kid, or the kid of a consulting detective who works alongside coppers, the best I can tell you is to let her go at her own pace. Correct her if she's wrong, and if you want to, and answer her questions when she asks, but as for the rest of it, don't push information on her unless she's interested, or you think she actually needs to know. But if you do think she needs to know, tell her whether she asks or not. And Sherlock - one last thing. You're a great dad and you're doing great with her."

Sherlock smiled at that. "Thank you, Griffith," was all he said.


End file.
